Breathe Again (16x05) - English
by Merlucaforever
Summary: What all fans would like to see in the next episode 16x05 titled "Breathe Again".


_All rights reserved to_ _Shonda_ _Rhimes_

_**Breathe Again (16x05) - English, by Merlucaforever**_

Andrew had had the worst night of his life, even worse than the one he spent in jail because that night he had fallen asleep knowing that she loved him and that she was waiting for him beyond the walls which separated them. Last night, it wasn't the same thing. He had gone to bed wondering if it was the end of their relationship and he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep all night. To top it all off, he was just coming out of the OR and had to tell the parents that their 12-year-old son had just died. Now, he was heading to the residents' lounge to review for the umpteenth time the residents' schedule that he kept changing due to all those defections from the "Hospital Hell". He was lost in thoughts, walking like an automaton in the corridors of the Grey Sloan, when he heard her voice.

– "Andrew!".

It was her. His heart started racing and he stopped in front of the door that he was about to push.

– "Andrew!", he heard again.

He then turned around slowly to face her. Oh my God, how beautiful she looked! He missed her so much last night! It's been a while since he had slept in his place. His favorite moment in the morning was to press her against him as soon as he woke up. He was dying to take her in his arms but didn't know if he was still entitled to do so. She had made him understand that he didn't have to meddle in the way that she intended to lead her own life and he didn't know where his place was. He didn't even know if he had ever had a place in her life. And the pain he felt was still very sharp.

– "Andrew, do you have a minute? I need to talk to you".

No, he didn't want to talk to her. Not now. He felt too hurt.

– "What for? You were very clear yesterday", he said, wanting to show that this left him completely indifferent.

– "No… Andrew, precisely, I would like to explain myself...".

– "Meredith, it's not a good time right now. I have to go... I'm absolutely snowed under with paperwork at the moment. That's the way Bailey has found to kill me by inches".

– "Andrew, I'm sorry..."

– "For what ? My punishment? Don't worry... I got this", he said.

– "Andrew… I...".

But he looked at her with a detached air while walking backwards through the door. Then he turned around to leave without saying a word.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Meredith sighed as Andrew walked away. She didn't dare to follow him beyond that door which was theoretically forbidden to her now, not wanting to run into Bailey. When she turned around, she saw Amelia and Maggie who were staring at her.

– "So, you haven't been able to talk to him yet?", asked Amelia.

Meredith threw up her hands and said:

– "No, he doesn't want to talk to me".

– "Come, follow us", Maggie told her.

Her sisters took her to the attending lounge and had her sit down. They knew about everything – the fight with Andrew and her summons to get to court – because she told them about it last night when she came home. She had to do so because she might go to jail and if that happened, her sisters would have to take care of the kids. They had had pretty much the same reaction as Andrew when she told them that she had walked off work crew to try to smooth things over with Bailey. They made her realize that she shouldn't have overreacted and talked to him like that.

– "So… tell me, did you apologize to him?", Maggie ask her.

– "I'd like to, but he didn't give me time".

– "I understand him, you know. You really rebuffed him last night when he was absolutely right. You really didn't need this summons this afternoon. From what you told us, it sounds like a break-up".

– "No ... no! Who mentioned breaking up? Do you think that he thinks I want to break up?", Meredith said in a tone of panic.

Amelia replied:

– "Uh... it seems like that to me. You should hasten to get him back because we don't dump such a sexy guy. He will surely not stay long on the market. You're lucky that I'm already seeing Link".

– "Amelia!", exclaimed Maggie in a tone of reprimand. But Meredith, for her part, burst out laughing.

– "It's true. He's sexy and he's fun... and I'm going to get him back for sure", she said.

– "You two look so happy together. I always knew it was serious between you and him", said Maggie.

– "He's the perfect boyfriend every woman dreams about but... I don't know if he will ever be more than that. But I'm ready for something more serious...". Then she added in a low voice: "I love him".

Amelia and Maggie both glanced at each other because even though they already knew how much they loved each other – they saw them together at home for many weeks – hearing Meredith tell them so was something else.

– "I'm sure everything will work out Mer. I can't imagine you apart", said Amelia, before drifting the conversation for a moment to talk about her baby and Link.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Helm had led Meredith to the residents' lounge – which served as the chief residents' office – where Andrew was. Helm had promised not to let anyone come to disturb them when she told her that she needed to speak to Andrew in private and that it was important.

When she entered the room, she saw him sitting behind a desk, his elbow resting on it and his face buried in both his hands, and he immediately raised his head up when he heard someone enter. Their eyes met and they stood for a long moment staring at each other without a word. Then they began to speak at the same time: "Mer, I..", "Andrew, I...". They also stopped at the same time and Meredith said to him:

– "I'm talking first. I'm talking first because I want to apologize to you. I overreacted yesterday because of all the tension caused by the article but deep down I know that you understand my choices and that if I let you do so, you would go to jail for me... for my choices".

Andrew sighed and smiled at her.

– "Mer, I want you to know that I understand you and I apologize if I led you believe otherwise because I couldn't bear the thought of seeing you go to jail. I understand and respect the cause you are defending, but you can't fight alone, you need allies and I'm willing to be one of them. I just cannot watch you become a martyr without being able to do nothing to protect you. I doubt that the judge will take me seriously if I turn myself in again".

Meredith chuckled before approaching him.

– "Andrew, I promise you to try to be more careful, but I want you to promise me that you will always tell me what you think like you did yesterday".

– "Okay", he said, approaching her in turn.

Meredith threw herself against his chest and wrapped her arms around him before saying:

– "I love you".

And he said, hugging her even tightly:

– "I love you".

_**Notes:** Fingers crossed to make it even better than that._


End file.
